Latest / AFR Saints / Ross Jackson Recaps Saints Minicamp: Standouts, Cam Jordan's Return & Roster Additions

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Ross Jackson Recaps Saints Minicamp: Standouts, Cam Jordan's Return & Roster Additions · AFR Saints

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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it has more to do with this being year
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  Speaker 2: two flow operation, a ton of installation last offseason with
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  Speaker 2: a new staff obviously, and everyone teaming together, and so
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  Speaker 2: this year I felt like we're in a much better
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  Speaker 2: place and ready to get into an eleven on eleven seting.
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  Speaker 1: Kellen Moore after mandatory minicamp talked about how much more
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  Speaker 1: eleven on eleven that they did this year as opposed
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  Speaker 1: to lash economic sense install a year ago. Now it
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  Speaker 1: kind of hit the ground run a little bit more
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  Speaker 1: despite some new personnel. Russ Jackson was out there Louisiana
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  Speaker 1: man Or you're doing a great mixture of me our
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  Speaker 1: pleasure eleven on eleven more of it, what did you say.
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  Speaker 3: A whole lot of it.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's funny they uh, you know, they didn't really
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  Speaker 4: start doing any of that until they got the training
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  Speaker 4: camp last year. This year they've they've kind of gone
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  Speaker 4: into it a little bit earlier, and it's been an
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  Speaker 4: evolution even still. When we came out here for the
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  Speaker 4: first OTAs, for instance, and working many.
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  Speaker 3: Camps, they were just doing seven on seven and then
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  Speaker 3: all of a sudden, in the right smack dab in
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  Speaker 3: the middle of OTAs, all of a sudden, oh, there's
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  Speaker 3: a team drill, and they started doing some team drills.
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  Speaker 3: And then now they've kind of gotten to the point
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  Speaker 3: where they're doing uh they've done two team drills and
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  Speaker 3: a seven on seven drill over of course last a
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  Speaker 3: little bit so heavier workload, and yeah, the installments a
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  Speaker 3: big part of it. But look, I also think that
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  Speaker 3: this is a this is a head coach that's learned that,
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  Speaker 3: you know, man, more work is better than less work.
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  Speaker 2: You know.
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  Speaker 3: There were some short practices last year. There were some
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  Speaker 3: you know practices to where they didn't have the team
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  Speaker 3: drills and things like that. So I do believe it
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  Speaker 3: is about the installation. But I also think that this
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  Speaker 3: is just an example of Kellen Moore evolving as a
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  Speaker 3: head coach and understanding that, hey, we should be doing
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  Speaker 3: more of this from a practical standpoint once they get
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  Speaker 3: the opportunity to do it. And so this is a
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  Speaker 3: good step forward versus what we saw.
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  Speaker 4: Last year at this time.
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  Speaker 1: That's so that's really interesting because that was one of
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  Speaker 1: the things last year that Kellen Moore maybe was commended
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  Speaker 1: on was the fact that like the veterans really like
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  Speaker 1: the short practices. It kept them fresh. Are we seeing
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  Speaker 1: a change there.
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  Speaker 3: I don't know if we're going to see a change
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  Speaker 3: in terms of the full length of practices. I think
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  Speaker 3: that he wants everybody to have access to their recovery
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  Speaker 3: time and all those things still being a part of it.
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  Speaker 3: But I do think that there is a such thing
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  Speaker 3: as maybe more efficient use of that time and more
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  Speaker 3: efficient use of the practice. It might still be shorter
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  Speaker 3: and therefore allowing them time to get that recovery time,
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  Speaker 3: but there is you know, a world in which it's like, hey,
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  Speaker 3: now let's go earn the recovery time first and make
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  Speaker 3: sure that you know the heavier workloads are in and
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  Speaker 3: they'll have days to where you know, they'll practice three
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  Speaker 3: days in a row and that third day will be
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  Speaker 3: more of a walkthrough day or a lighter day and
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  Speaker 3: things like that. But I do think that there is
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  Speaker 3: a little bit maybe more of a demand for you know,
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  Speaker 3: implementation in a more practical nature sooner rather than later.
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  Speaker 3: And I think that's I think that's a positive step.
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  Speaker 1: Ross give me a few takeaways, man for the two
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  Speaker 1: days of mandatory Mane caamp. What's to that?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, you know, the number one big thing,
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  Speaker 3: of course, was around Cam Jordan coming back, but beyond
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  Speaker 3: just actually signing the contract and all that, I think
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  Speaker 3: one of the things that you now see from this
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  Speaker 3: team is a really good established approach to leadership for
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  Speaker 3: a team that we thought might be without veteran leadership
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  Speaker 3: going into this twenty twenty five or twenty twenty sixties
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  Speaker 3: or at league have taken a considerable loss there, so
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  Speaker 3: that would be a big part of it. The second
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  Speaker 3: thing that I would say is that we watched the
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  Speaker 3: defense and offense go back and forth quite a bit
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  Speaker 3: over the course of OCA. Is the mandatory Mini camp.
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  Speaker 3: Offense makes a play, defense makes it play. All that
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  Speaker 3: oftentimes when we're in this Ota Mini camp phase, it's
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  Speaker 3: it's very offense forward, and I think we saw a
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  Speaker 3: little bit more of the more even match between both sides,
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  Speaker 3: which would be good things for the defense. But I'm
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  Speaker 3: very very interesting. This would be the kind of third takeaway,
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  Speaker 3: very very interesting to see how that grows and changes.
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  Speaker 3: With how versatile this offense is. I mean, they ran
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  Speaker 3: so many different personnel packages, so many different substitutions, players
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  Speaker 3: lining up at a bunch of different places, especially skilled
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  Speaker 3: position guys like Titands and wide receivers. I think the
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  Speaker 3: versatility and deployment of this offense in twenty twenty six
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  Speaker 3: is going to be super interesting.
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  Speaker 1: A watch at Ross Jackson Nola is where you can
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  Speaker 1: follow them, follow him Louisiana Sports on net and locked
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  Speaker 1: on Saints. Maybe there was something we'll get to cam
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  Speaker 1: in a second here, Ross, But if there was something
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  Speaker 1: else news news Z today, it was that the Saints
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  Speaker 1: announced three signings. Yeah, okay, give me a takeaway there.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's interesting, right because you sign these players and
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  Speaker 3: then you go on break for every month, and so yeah,
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  Speaker 3: it's interesting timing in terms of doing that, But I
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  Speaker 3: think it shows how much they they wanted these guys
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  Speaker 3: on the roster. They bring Hunter Deckers back, which we've
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  Speaker 3: been reporting over at louisianasports dot Net that was kind
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  Speaker 3: of like written on the walls for quite some time,
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  Speaker 3: basically since April, we've known that that was eventually going
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  Speaker 3: to be the case, post the post the UFL season,
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  Speaker 3: and so Hunter Deckers coming back makes sense, much like
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  Speaker 3: the Cam Jordan piece makes sense. Those two returns. But
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  Speaker 3: the Jalen Moreno Cooper signing from the UFL is an
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  Speaker 3: interesting one, and then the Tanner Brown signings in the
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  Speaker 3: UFL is also interesting. Jalen Morino Cooper kind of comes
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  Speaker 3: over as a six foot one hundred and sixty nine
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  Speaker 3: pound very slight wide receiver that averaged over forty yards
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  Speaker 3: per kick return and his handful of kick returns last year,
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  Speaker 3: so you can kind of already see the special teams
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  Speaker 3: avenue there for him, another potential returner being added to there.
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  Speaker 3: And you know they lost Damien Alferd due to injury
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  Speaker 3: last week. They ended up waiving him with an injury designation.
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  Speaker 3: So there's a wide receiver for wide receiver wide receiver
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  Speaker 3: swap there, and then Mason Shipley who was signed an
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  Speaker 3: undrafted free agent coming out of Texas Longhorns. He ends
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  Speaker 3: up being waived, and then they bring in a guy
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  Speaker 3: that was twenty five of twenty eight and perfect in
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  Speaker 3: the postseason for his UFL team in Tanner Brown. So
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  Speaker 3: good competition here. Now when it comes to kicker for
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  Speaker 3: Charlie Smith, Mason Shipley was a little shaky, barely took
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  Speaker 3: any kicks, if any kick at all that we saw
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  Speaker 3: beyond fifty yards, but missed more than a handful of
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  Speaker 3: kicks and the very few times we got to see
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  Speaker 3: him kick, And so I think that, you know, just
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  Speaker 3: the Saints had an option to be able to go
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  Speaker 3: with a guy that's kicked in you know, that kind
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  Speaker 3: of spring league format, and they wanted to bring somebody
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  Speaker 3: into to come and challenge and continue to push Charlie
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  Speaker 3: Smith and Tanner Brown's a really intriguing option there with
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  Speaker 3: a really good leg. Hit a sixty three yard er
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  Speaker 3: in the postseason for the UFL or in the UFL
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  Speaker 3: just as last year.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, maybe burying the lead a little bit, but Cam
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  Speaker 1: Jordan backed reaction.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, this is this is the way it
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  Speaker 3: should have been. Cam Jordan belongs in the Black and Gold.
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  Speaker 3: He deserved an opportunity to come back for a sixteenth
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  Speaker 3: season and continue to further his his Hall of Fame
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  Speaker 3: bid and to do it where it all started, which
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  Speaker 3: has always been his goal. Just like his dad, who
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  Speaker 3: played thirteen years tight in Steve Jordan with the Minnesota Vikings.
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  Speaker 3: He wanted to be a lifer with his organization. He
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  Speaker 3: said that over and over again, the Saints have not
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  Speaker 3: been shy about the fact that they wanted him back.
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  Speaker 3: They told him on the way, you know, into the
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  Speaker 3: off season, basically like hey, or I think it might
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  Speaker 3: have been a couple off seasons ago. Cam told the
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  Speaker 3: Story yesterday that he was basically told, hey, anytime that
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  Speaker 3: you know, you always have a job here, You're always
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  Speaker 3: welcome here. And he went and he looked at other
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  Speaker 3: options things like that over the course of the offseason.
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  Speaker 3: But eventually, you know, it gets led back here. It's
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  Speaker 3: on a one year deal. It's intensive headly we expected
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  Speaker 3: to be his final season. I think it can be
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  Speaker 3: one of the best stories in the NFL in twenty
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  Speaker 3: twenty six watching you know that legacy continue to grow
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  Speaker 3: as he leaves behind. Eventually after this year, something really
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  Speaker 3: special here in New Orleans, and so I think the
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  Speaker 3: thinks bringing him back makes them a better team, and
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  Speaker 3: I think it's the best situation for him just plainly put,
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  Speaker 3: I think the Saints are a better team with him
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  Speaker 3: on the roster than with him off the roster. And
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  Speaker 3: especially after not having you know, a big swing at
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  Speaker 3: defensive vand whether it be in the draft or free
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  Speaker 3: agency this offseason, keeping the trio of him, Carl Grandison,
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  Speaker 3: and Chase Hung together while the additions to Anthorty Jennings
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  Speaker 3: and and Tyree Wilson find their way. I think that's
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  Speaker 3: a really good core set of experienced edge rushers to
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  Speaker 3: go into the season with.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, Chris Rump, that mix, that's six. They're not keeping
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  Speaker 1: all those guys. I'll shooting things the odd man out.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think. I mean, look, Chris Rump is a
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  Speaker 3: really valuable piece. Even though he doesn't have a lot
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  Speaker 3: of contributions on his ledger on the defensive side, He's
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  Speaker 3: been a core special teamer for the team. He's got
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  Speaker 3: a long standing relationship with Brandon Staley. But if you
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  Speaker 3: just look at the acquisition of all these players, Cam's
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  Speaker 3: got a job here. He was plainly told that Chase Young,
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  Speaker 3: mccarl Granderson aren't going anywhere. They signed Anthony Jennings and
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  Speaker 3: bring him in as one of the best run defenders
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  Speaker 3: in the NFL at his position, and then they make
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  Speaker 3: that trade for Tyree Wilson. I would dare say that
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  Speaker 3: it's a battle between Tyree Wilson and Chris Rum to
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  Speaker 3: see who outlast the situation there. Right now, the difference
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  Speaker 3: becomes do they look at do they continue to look
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  Speaker 3: at all these players as stand up edge rushers, or
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  Speaker 3: do any of them become hands in the dirt quote
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  Speaker 3: unquote interior defensive ends. I think about the way that
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  Speaker 3: they used Brian Brazey last year, who didn't necessarily play
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  Speaker 3: a defensive tackle role, but he lined who played a
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  Speaker 3: defensive tackle role but more of a defensive end role,
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  Speaker 3: who lined up over offensive tackles, And so if any
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  Speaker 3: of those guys end up shifting inside, then that ends
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  Speaker 3: up maybe giving them an additional pathway to the roster
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  Speaker 3: despite the number of edge.
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  Speaker 1: Rushers in He's Ross Jackson. Louisiana Sports done that and
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  Speaker 1: locked on Saints. Anything else from the two day mandatory
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  Speaker 1: minicamp we should be talking about before they head into
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  Speaker 1: a month along Siesta.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, I do think that the one notable return, but
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  Speaker 3: really it's been over the past two days, two notable
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  Speaker 3: returns with the two rookies from Georgia. Oscar delt who
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  Speaker 3: had the hamstring injury the second week of OTAs was
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  Speaker 3: back and very involved in both days of OTAs. The
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  Speaker 3: way they continue to use this kid is really really interesting,
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  Speaker 3: and the way that he moves around and the way
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  Speaker 3: that they utilize a lout of a bunch of different spots.
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  Speaker 3: He's going to be super fun to watch all throughout
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  Speaker 3: training camp, preseason, going into the regular season as we
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  Speaker 3: expect his role to grow. And then today was a
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  Speaker 3: huge day for Christian Miller, who finally got an opportunity
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  Speaker 3: to get out there during the team drills and so
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  Speaker 3: the defensive tackle a lot of Georgia whose drafts with
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  Speaker 3: the second round obviously a high investment there at top
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  Speaker 3: fifty investment, and so finally getting him out on the
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  Speaker 3: field and he looks good. He's fierce, he moves well,
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  Speaker 3: he's powerful, all that that's going to be a player
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  Speaker 3: that can have a massive impact on this team's chase
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  Speaker 3: to get to continue to get better on the run
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  Speaker 3: side of the ball and defensive side. They finished their
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  Speaker 3: strong last year and run defense, but they want to
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  Speaker 3: keep that going and Christian Billy can be a big
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  Speaker 3: part of that.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, go chill for a month.
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  Speaker 3: No good, so much, We have so much more to do.
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  Speaker 1: Matt, I know, try you and I both know good
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  Speaker 1: and well. Of course you can read him at Louisiana
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: Sports dot Net listener watch over and locked on Saints
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: always free, and of course at Ross Jackson, Nola. You're
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: the best. Thanks man, We appreciate you.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you. Dude, you safe. Talk to you soon.